1297-10-08, St. Paul's

To the bailiffs of Sandwich. Whereas the king has caused letters in a box, which is sealed with the seal of Ralph de Sandwyco, constable of the Tower of London, which brother Richard de Aston, monk of the abbey of Whallegh, is taking with him to parts beyond sea by the order of his abbot, to be examined by the said Ralph: the king orders the bailiffs to permit the monk to pass to the said parts from that port with the box and with two of his grooms, provided that he do not carry with him any other suspicious letters. By C. To John de Lythegr[aynes], escheator beyond Trent. Whereas the escheator assigned to Hawysia, late the wife of Ralph de Goushill, tenant in chief, dower of her husband's lands by the king's order, as appears to the king by inspection of the assignment sent to the king by him, and the escheator has taken the lands thus assigned to her in dower into the king's hands by virtue of a writ called diem clausit extremum concerning Ralph's death, as he has signified to the king, which cause the king considers null: he therefore orders the escheator not to intermeddle further with the lands thus assigned in dower, if they have been taken into the king's hands solely for this reason, or with the issues thereof since the time when the lands were taken into the king's hands. To Reginald de Grey, justice of Chester. Whereas the king granted by his letters patent to the prioress and nuns of Chester 24 marks yearly from the ferm of the town of Middlewich (de Medio Vichiv), until such time as he should cause this yearly sum to be assigned to them to be received in a certain place for ever, for certain fixed alms granted to them by the king's predecessors, formerly lords of Cheshire (Cestresirye), and he also granted to them by the same letters 4/. 17s. Od. yearly from the said ferm in recompence for the damages that the prioress and nuns sustain yearly to that amount by the withdrawal from them by the abbot and convent of Vale Royal of the tithes pertaining to the prioress and nuns church of Ovre, as in the tithes of hay, fishponds, gardens, cows, calves, servants in Lent and other small tithes, until the king should similarly provide them with that sum elsewhere for ever; and 931. 16s. 67. are in arrear to the prioress and nuns for Michaelmas term in the twenty-first year of the reign and for the four following years: the king ordérs the justice to cause them to have this sum, unless they have been previously satisfied for it, in accordance with the king's grant aforesaid and as they have been wont to have and receive it in times past. Witness : Edward, the king's son. To John de Lythegr[eynes], escheator beyond Trent. Order not to intermeddle with the lands that Ralph de Goushull at his death held of other lords than the king, as the king learns by inquisition taken by the escheator that Ralph at his death held nothing of the king in chief as of the crown, but that he held certain lands in Coldon of the honour of Albemarle, which is in the king's hands, by knight service. . 67 To the sheriff of Gloucester.